Isaac Football Hazing Victim Meets with New Rochelle Police; NRPD and BoE Stories Do Not Square

NEW ROCHELLE, NY -- All that can be known for sure right now is that someone is lying. The question is who. The public statements made by the New Rochelle Police Department, the New Rochelle Board of Education and the parent at the heart of this case do not add up.

In a press briefing this afternoon, New Rochelle police confirmed that the parent of a student victimized in the Isaac Young football team hazing scandal, met with police on Friday evening and that investigation remains "open".

New Rochelle Police Detective Captain Joseph Schaller said what the mother described has been characterized by police as "offensive contact" and that since the mother did not file a criminal complaint there is currently no criminal investigation. Schaller added that if what the mother had reported had been characterized as "sexual assault", police would have investigated on their own regardless of whether the mother filed a criminal complaint. At best, Schaller said when pressed, what the mother described amounted to "forcible touching", a form of sexual assault. How the police would distinguish between offensive contact, forcible touching and sexual assault without doing an investigation was not clear.

The mother said in a television interview Friday that she went to school officials in October but was never told of police involvement in the case. She added that she did not believe the school district was taking the matter seriously and that she planned to go to the police. Later that evening she did.

Schaller said that once she got there, the mother stated that she wanted to let the New Rochelle school district handle the matter. Schaller did not know why the mother would go to the police saying she was dissatisfied with the district's response and then tell police she preferred to let the school district handle the matter.

The police officer in charge of the case is Detective Ray Andolina. Schaller says that Andolina was called to Isaac E. Young Middle School on a report of "towel-whipping". Asked is that is a common occurrence -- school principal's calling police to report "towel-whipping" in the boy's locker room, Schaller said that police will respond to any call that is made.

Once at the school, Andolina met with school officials including Bongo but left without speaking to any of the alleged victims or their parents, including the Mom whose complaint caused Bongo to call the police in the first police. Schaller confirmed police never interviewed anyone after being called to the school by Isaac E. Young Principal Dr. Anthony Bongo.

"We were told that incident involved 'towel-snapping'", said Schaller. "That did not rise to the level of a police matter."

Schaller could not explain why the principal of a middle school would call the police to report a case of towel-snapping in a boy's locker room.

The mother says she reported in October what her son described Friday in a television interview and to police -- that the boy was repeatedly assaulted and, at one point, shoved into a corner by several boys who "dry-humped" him in a sexual way.

Schaller said that had they been informed in October of what the mother and son reported to police on Friday, the police would have done an investigation but that the police would not conduct an investigation now based on receiving that same information late last week.

Internal reports at Isaac E. Young, the District's central office and the school board describe an incident involving all 33 members of the football team and various forms of assault.

In a statement released last week, the school district stated "a thorough investigation was launched by the principal that involved the New Rochelle Police Department". The police say there was no investigation. The only determination made was that "towel-snapping" is not criminal activity.

The district has yet to explain why an incident of "towel-snapping" would result in student suspensions and the cancellation of the last three games of the football season.

RELATED: This conduct of Detective Andolina has been the source of reporting on Talk of the Sound before.

There are 32 Comments

Before reporting about this case you should know every bodies version, there is a lot that you are saying that is not correct information and practice responsable writing remember there are kids involve, and they are not yours. PLEASE!!!!!!!!

I am well aware that these stories do not make sense and I continue to report out the story.

If my choice is between believing Detective Ray Andolina, Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak or the mother, I am going to believe the mother every single time.

This story is not over by a long shot. I contacted the DA's office for further comment.

Someone is lying here.

PS, Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak read a statement last night claiming that the NRPD did a full investigation. To his face, I called him out on that last night. The police are on record with me, in the JN, News 12 and News 2 stating that they did not do ANY investigation because the only complaint they got from the school was "towel-snapping" at the do not investigate "towel-snapping" in boy's locker rooms. In the case of last night's statement, what Organisciak read was a flat out lie. So there is one lie.

You really are scum and are friggen clueless at the same time!! You have NO CLUE about the REAL Story and all of your false reporting should be criminal at this point. You continue to degrade Ray Andolina when you are the one doing the people of New Rochelle a disservice! How in god's name do you call yourself a journalist????? Just for ONCE I would love to see an accurate story written by you....Are you still pissed off that your son got suspended while at NRHS a few years back and that is why you have tried to attack the school Board any chance you can.....GET A LIFE will ya and your Fat partner James O'Toole(eye-on-newroc) as well.

In case you missed it, the school district confirmed my reporting last week. The story was picked up by many media outlets in the area.

It's not that complicated. Either the police did an investigation or they did not. The NRPD says they did not; that is Schaller repeating what he was told by Andolina The school district says an investigation was done. The mother who made the initial complaint says the police never contacted her.

Ray Andolina has a history of working with Bongo to cover up incidents at Isaac and intimidating parents who seek to file criminal complaints involving Isaac. That you may not be aware of this does not make it less so.

If Andolina did conduct a "full investigation" as claimed by Organisciak on Tuesday why did Andolina never contact the mom who made the complaint and why does Schaller keep saying that Andolina told him that he did not conduct an investigation because all the school (ie, Bongo) told police (ie, Andolina) was that the matter involved "towel-whipping"?

Schaller told me Tuesday that there was a single contact between police and the school on this matter and that there was no investigation at all. That is entirely consistent with the mom's statement on CBS 2 News.

This does not square with the school district's story.

Someone is lying here. I believe the Mom. I do not believe Organisciak, a long-documented pathological liar. I believe Schaller is accurately repeating what Andolina says that there was no investigation. I do not believe that Bongo called Andolina to make a report of towel-whipping in the boys locker room.

Given those beliefs on my part, what is left?

I am not known as an apologist for Anthony Bongo but I cannot imagine that what Andolina told Schaller -- that Bongo called police to report towel-whipping -- is true.

That is where I believe the lie exists in this exchange between school and police. I believe that Bongo told Andolina about the Mom's complaint and possibly more that he learned on his own.

The most likely scenario then is that Andolina and Bongo agreed to treat the entire matter as an internal disciplinary matter for the school to handle. Soon thereafter the season was cancelled and several players suspended.

Like has happened so many times in the past, the matter would have ended there. But these days there is Talk of the Sound. We found out about it and ran a story on the day of the board meeting at Isaac. My story was never mentioned during presentations even Isaac officials talked about bullying and DASA. I spoke to Bongo that night and he did not say a word about the story. In other words, they were content to ignore the story. The next day CBS ran the story. Still nothing. Then the Journal News and News 12 got involved and finally, on Thursday, the district issued a statement, a false and misleading one at that.

At this point, Schaller is asking Andolina what happened and Andolina gives Schaller the towel-whipping story.

Schaller went on the record with JN, News12 and CBS and TOTS to say that there was NO investigation based on Andolina's statement to Scaller.

With this said, where exactly the part of my reporting that is inaccurate or not "real"?

Make another inquiry? Where? The NRPD and BoE have made repeated public statements. The BoE says there was a "full investigation" and the NRPD says there was "no investigation". The mother says no one contacted her. That sounds a lot like the NPRD did not do a "full investigation".

In either case, someone is lying and it isn't me. I am going with the mother and Captain Schaller on this one. I do not believe Organisciak and I do not believe Ray Andolina. That's my opinion. If you don't like it then too bad.

You will be proven wrong and then you can run around town in your cub scout outfit and your camera like the idiot that you are...You always look funny when you are taking pictures of the flowers on Aberfoyle Rd!!!

Ah yes the old "I know where you live threat". That was only a matter of time.

You are quite the keyboard cowboy, tough guy! Or is it gal? Or can't you tell.

Again, last time I checked, the district has already confirmed the report of the Isaac hazing in their own statements. So, how do you figure there is a "REAL" story when no one is denying that these incidents took place, that the season was cancelled, that students were suspended?

The only open question at this point is what Bongo reported to Andolina. We know the incident happened and we know the NRPD said they were not told about it.

You are just mad. I have never saw you comment on this website before. Did Bob hit a nerve? You must have some personal adgenda. Thank God for Bob, he his going a GREAT JOB! And everything he reports is the TRUTH. You can't handle the TRUTH!!

I have my own byline on this (as do you). The difference is that I use my real name and stand behind my own words. And you are a coward, unwilling to do the same.

As for my personal agenda, I do have a personal agenda. I have direct personal experience with the ethos that dominates our City, a culture of lies and threats -- as you are amply demonstrating here.

In fact, you are presenting a case study in what's wrong with New Rochelle and it is my personal agenda to address that. You come on here with your lies and your threats, bullying and insulting, making unsubstantiated claims using a fake name, claiming there is a "REAL" story but somehow unable to bring yourself to back even that up.

And so do you have a personal agenda to be replying to this story. I am so tired of people only replying to stories that are personal to them and are not concerned for the rest of the New Rochelle citzens. But Bob has done a great job getting the truth out for NR. We all know how corrupt New Rochelle is and the New Rochelle School District. I am glad knowing we have someone like Bob Cox in New Rochelle. And who cares how he got started, at least he has the guts to stand up for what is RIGHT.

No I am not related to Bob in any way. I am just a long time New Rochellean!! And I know what is right and what is going on in New Rochelle is ALL wrong, New Rochelle has become a slum City. We need to clean everything up, from City Hall to our Streets. You are the one who must be related to someone Bob is talking about. You are SO,SO made, but why. Not that he is report on a Story, but you have some conection to this story. RIGHT

It seems bongo did the right thing here. He suspended the kids who did it, a police investigation was done, they didn't find anything. Never knew towel whipping was a crime, but if you can't handle that in a locker room, then sports aren't for you. I don't know bob, maybe a mound out of a mole hill here. The kid's mom is looking for some sort of pay day here. Nothing wrong here, and nothing that doesn't go on in any locker room across the country in every single school in America. Don't get me wrong though, it doesn't make it right, but this type of thing has been going on since sports started and it will continue to go on. There are way more pressing matters which are more concerning to the citizens of New Rochelle than this story.

You do not seem to be familiar with the reporting on this matter going back to our first breaking the story last week.

Let's take this one by one because you are confused on what I have reported and the views I have expressed.

Have you seen me be critical of Bongo? No. In my initial story that broke this thing wide open, I made it a point to state over and over the steps Bongo took when the problem was reported to him. I have never taken issue with Bongo in this particular case because, from what I know, he did what he was supposed to do once the report came to him. He called the police and reported it up the chain of command to Organisciak who, in turn, informed the board. All of this took place back in October.

"He suspended the kids who did it."

Not sure where you got this idea. First, this was not a single incident but a series of incidents as part of a tradition of hazing on the football team that goes back prior to this year. From what I have been told, all 33 members of the team were involved, one way or another and eventually 3 of them were suspended.

The internal process did not take place on a single day but over a period of weeks. Initially, none of the players would name names as to who did what. Eventually, some information came out and 3 players were suspended (at last count)

In the meantime, after the first report but before there were any suspensions, the remainder of the football season was cancelled for all members of the team. In other words, they first punished everyone and then later punished a few of the players individually.

Cancelling the season for everyone, including the victims, is, in-effect, what is known as "collective punishment" and is specifically prohibited in public schools in New York State. If a kid shoots a spitball at the back of a teachers head, the entire class cannot be given detention until the culprit is identified.

"A police investigation was done, they didn't find anything."

The New Rochelle Police Department has repeatedly stated in press interviews, in print and on TV, that no police investigation was done. The mother said no one contacted her. The only person claiming a police investigation was done is Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak. Enough said.

"Never knew towel whipping was a crime, but if you can't handle that in a locker room, then sports aren't for you."

Of course towel-whipping is not a crime. Sexual assault is, physical assault is and bullying as well. What was reported to the school was a series of physical assaults and in one case an assault that took on a sexual nature (dry-humping a 12-year old by several older boys).

"The kid's mom is looking for some sort of pay day here."

Wow! This is an incredible statement. You know precisely jack squat about this case or the mother or her intentions. I have news for you -- if the mother was looking for a "pay day" she would have first hired a lawyer, gone to the police and filed a criminal complaint back in October. She did not come forward until six weeks later, after we reported the story and it was picked up by other media from there. As of today, she has still not filed a criminal complaint. So much for this theory.

That said, I would advise her to do precisely that -- get a lawyer, file a criminal complaint and file a civil lawsuit.

"Nothing wrong here, and nothing that doesn't go on in any locker room across the country in every single school in America."

Again, the police say the school reported it to them as towel-whipping. If you seriously believe that a middle school principal would call police to report towel-whipping I have a bridge to sell you. As reported by the parent, this was a case of assault, possibly sexual assault. There were multiple instances of it and it took place over an extended period of time.

"There are way more pressing matters which are more concerning to the citizens of New Rochelle than this story."

As you have the story completely wrong and are drawing all sorts of uninformed and incorrect conclusions, I can see why you feel this is not important.

Perhaps you could instead address yourself to what Talk of the Sound reported not some baloney coming out of the school district.

I don't think the school did what they were suppose to do, hiding information to the parents it's not something smart, the towel situation was what they report to some parents, the sexual things parents found out six weeks later on the news. Like I said to you before go and ask the parents what really happened, believe me there's a lot more you don't know....

Please find something to do!! Is this all you have to do? To bash Bob?? You must work for the City of NR or NR School system and Bob has hit a nasty nerve. I hate to tell you as many people you think hate Bob twice more JUST LOVE what he is doing.

It is helpful for residents to get a good look at the sorts of people seeking to cover up the rotten stench emanating from our school district.

The sorts of people more concerned about protecting their pocketbook than protecting children,

The sorts of people who rely on foul-mouth rants, bullying, taunts and threats.

We all grew up with your sort of twisted, malformed bullies on the school playground who grow up to be twisted, malformed bullies as adults, unable to find work except on the public dole in the firm of patronage jobs for which they are neither fit nor qualified.

Thank you again for another performance by the miscreants who fester on our public payrolls.

I can certainly see why you do not like me, this site, or the many honest, hard-working people of New Rochelle who read or post here.

Please continue to make my point for me. You are doing a far better job than we could ever do.

The motivation for Bob to cover this story is not important. It remains a story/newa item.I am sorry for what happened. Something like this should not take place in our schools or anywhere for that matter. We all feel the same way and may have had similar issues with the system. We just haven’t had a forum to speak until Talk of the Sound. Bob is reporting a story that involves The City New Rochelle Board of Education caught once again with their pants down. Like it or not, that is his job. The story will settle in as more develops, and more will I am sure. It is a sad reflection of our society today and what we have become. You may not like the way he puts the news out but we are at least getting a flow of information and a forum for people to speak out without the fear of retribution and ridicule as displayed here and in the daily workings of The City of New Rochelle Board of Education and The City of New Rochelle.

Besides the children, what is also important is the fact that The City of New Rochelle Board of Education and The City of New Rochelle are paid by our taxes. We as taxpayers cannot and should not stand by while our City and School taxes are among some of the highest in Westchester County, The State of New York and The United States for that matter. This is a waste of resources and manpower that are paid for by us and it should get us upset. The City will look to raise our Taxes 7%. This increase is not that much when you consider what we pay for The City of New Rochelle School Taxes. Before there are any cuts to essential services we need to get rid of the dead weight that is in The Board of Education and The City of New Rochelle. It can and should be done. No one on The City Council or The New Rochelle Board of Education has the hutzpah to stand up and make the first move. Do like Mayor Bloomberg, The City should take over New Rochelle Board of Education. But they need to get their act together as well.